CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 6/28/19

Copyright: wamsler / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…CHECK THIS STUFF OUT

1. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint Workshop – Sydney & Melbourne

These events are going down in TWO weeks.

If you live in Australia and you like to geek out about deadlifts, scapular upward rotation, and/or Jason Bourne then you might consider coming to hang out with us.

Sydney, Australia: July 13-14th at Clean Shred.

Melbourne, Australia: July 19-21st and Melbourne Strength & Conditioning. (<—  Includes bonus “Psych Skills for Fitness Pros” pre-workshop with Dr. Lisa Lewis).

Find out more details HERE.

2. Strong Body-Strong Mind Workshop – Chicago, IL (w/ Dr. Lisa Lewis)

This will be the only time Dr. Lisa Lewis and I will be presenting this workshop together in 2019. In previous years we’ve presented it in Boston, London, Toronto, Bonn (Germany),  and Austin, TX.

This 1-day workshop is targeted towards fitness professionals and digs a little deeper into what really “bogs” them down and stresses them out….

…their clients!

Click THIS link for more details on topics covered as well as date/cost/location.

3. All About Fitness Podcast w/ Pete McCall

This was my second appearance on Pete’s show and this time around we discussed things like:

  • Training over 40 (you’re not over the hill, you can still get after it).
  • Biohacking and what the hell does that even mean?
  • Learning to lean in with societal norms and how both Pete and I have had to learn the hard way that our words matter.

You can check it out HERE.

For the non-Apple snobs out there you can also listen in here:

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

Wait for it, wait for it….

Instagram

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Of course there’s more to unpack on an individual basis on everything I say below, but sometimes a dose of tough love is needed. . Posted @withrepost • @testosteronenation From T-Nation.com coach Tony Gentilcore: The barrier to fat loss for most has little to do with education. It’s almost always about being an ass who doesn’t like taking accountability for his or her actions. People know what not to do. There’s something emotional that prevents them from doing it. It reminds me of something a friend of mine, Mark Young, said recently about clients of his who complain about his coaching style. Every now and then someone will chime in and say something like “nothing you have said is new to me, or something I couldn’t have done myself without paying you.” . “Well, were you doing it?” he’ll ask. It’s such a money response. . For some reason, people will hear the following: . • Make your own lunches to bring to work. • Pre-package your own meals ahead of time in your fridge. • Limit access to trigger foods that can make you overeat. • When in doubt, eat more protein. • Drink more water. • Eat your freaking vegetables, you child. . … and people who hear this will say stuff like, “That’s so simple. I already know all that!” . Okay, so do it. . — Tony Gentilcore @tonygentilcore . . #tnation #fatloss #diet #nutrition

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STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

The Case for Diet Soda: It Gets a Bad Rap, But the Research Tells a Different Story – Tamar Haspel

Of all the things people get all up in arms about when it comes to nutrition, it’s always perplexed me that DIET FUCKING SODA ranks as one of the highest.

*cracks open third can of Diet Coke*

The Kettlebell Swing: Timing Matters – “Wait For It! – Artemis Scantalides

Listen to Artemis.

She knows a thing or two about the swing…;o)

Functional Strength Coach 7 – Mike Boyle

TODAY (6/28) is your LAST day to take advantage of the Early Bird rate for Mike Boyle’s latest resource. It’s a fair assertion that no one has been more influential to more coaches in this industry than Mike.

You’re doing yourself a disservice if you’re a coach/personal trainer and NOT taking the time to learn from him.

Save 40% off the regular price HERE.

Ultimate Landmine Program – Meghan Callaway

It’s also the LAST DAY  to purchase Meghan’s latest resource at a hefty discount as well. I’m a big fan of the Landmine and Meghan does a superb job outlining a bevy of exercises you can perform in addition to a well-written program to follow.

Check it out HERE.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 8/17/18

 

Copyright: wamsler / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…CHECK THIS STUFF OUT

1. (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Houston, TX

This workshop will piggyback on the material Dean Somerset and I covered in the original Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint.

But now.

BUT NOW……

….It’s the (Even More) Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint.

A bunch of wordsmiths we are.

With this iteration, though, we’ll be going a bit deeper into the coaching and programming side of things:

  • How to program around common injuries.
  • How to “connect” the appropriate exercises to the client/athlete.
  • How to squat and deadlift like a boss.

All registrants to this course (as well as future dates in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Los Angeles, Detroit, Philadelphia, Minas Tirith) will receive a free download of CSHB 1.0 so that you’re up-to-speed on the content Dean and I will be covering.

To register and for moe details go HERE.

2. RISE Fitness Business Conference – San Jose, CA

I’ve had to decline speaking at this event in the past due to prior engagements1, but I’m headed to San Jose this year baby.

And I…..am…..pumped.

I’ve never been to the Bay area so I’m excited for that. But I’m even more excited for the THREE days of melt your face knowledge that’ll be under one roof.

The line-up is spectacular and I’m honored to be included amongst such esteemed company – Pat Rigsby, Mark Fisher, Molly Galbraith, Kellie Hart, Craig Ballantyne, and Scott Rawcliffe, to name a few.

I’ll be speaking about shoulder assessment.2

If you’re a fitness professional looking to take his or her’s career to the next level this is an event you won’t want to miss.

Full details and registration are HERE.

SOCIAL MEDIA SHENANIGANS

Twitter

Instagram

My wife is a beast. She crushed her last month of training. #100%humblebrag

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STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

Why You Should Train the Single Leg Deadlift – Artemis Scantalides

I know some coaches find training the single leg deadlift a waste of time, but I am not one of those coaches.

Neither is Artemis.

She’s the shit.

What Coed Kickball and Medical Bills Taught Me About Fitness – Andy van Grinsven

Some really great perspective from Andy in this one.

And a sick The Notebook reference.

Well played.

The Hybrid Athlete Program – Eric Bach

Want to be strong, lean, and not move like the Tin Man?

This program by Eric is sublime.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 3/23/18

Oh, hello.

It’s Friday.

You know the drill.

Copyright: wamsler / 123RF Stock Photo

BUT FIRST…(STUFF TO CHECK OUT AND OTHER TIDBITS CURATED TO MAKE YOU A BETTER COACH OR HUMAN)

1. Coaching Competency: DC – Early Bird Rate Ending

The Early Bird rate for my Coaching Competency workshop in the DC area ends THIS weekend (3/25).

For $99 you get to hang out with me for seven hours and talk about assessment, program design, deadlifts, and LOLCat memes. Price increases to $129 after this weekend.

Go HERE for full details.

2. Precision Nutrition Level 1 Coaching Certification

Registration for this highly competitive certification opens on April 4th. However, I’ve got some good, nay, fucking amazing news.

I’ve negotiated some awesome perks for you:

  • Early access to enroll on April 3rd (24 hrs before they open to the public), increasing your chances of getting in.

  • A huge discount (up to 33% off the regular price).

This is without question one of the best certifications any fitness professional can possess, offering incredible value and helps to separate you from the masses.

Go HERE for more info.

3. Even More Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint – Coming Soon

Dean Somerset and I are currently in the throes of drumming up new content for our staple workshop series.

We’ve presented this workshop all over the world – London, Vancouver, Oslo, Prague, Boston, LA – and even turned it into a popular digital product HERE so everyone can enjoy it.

We’ve already nailed down dates in Slovenia, Houston, and LA this fall (2018) and are also in talks to bring it to Detroit, Philadelphia, Australia, and Singapore in 2019.

If you’re someone who’d like to host this event/participate in a tickle fight please reach out to either Dean or myself.

4. Cobra Kai – This Looks Fucking Awesome

 

I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I watched The Karate Kid when I was, well, a kid.3

I am PUMPED for this. I am 65% aroused.

Shout out to my boy, Chad Landers, who helped prep star (and 1980’s Movie Douchebag 1st Team All-Star) William Zabka, for this role.

STUFF TO READ WHILE YOU’RE PRETENDING TO WORK

Set Point Theory: Does Your Body Defend Against Fat Loss? – Brad Dieter

Brad’s one of the rare nutrition peeps I listen to.4

He doesn’t seem to have an “agenda” other than to go out his way to use science to back up his rationale for everything.

I dig that.

I think you’ll dig this article.

Can Food Have Negative Calories? – Examine.com

Examine.com = dick puncher of nutritional fallacies and pipe dreams.

My Favorite 3-Part Turkish Get-Up 1 Minute Video Tutorial – Artemis Scantalides

Artemis is responsible for MY get-up and how I coach it to my athletes/clients. She’s the shit. You need to listen to her.

Social Media Shenanigans

Twitter

Instagram

Here’s a fantastic push-up variation I got from @smittydiesel that’s super challenging: Renegade Push-up. One of the advantages of push-ups and why I like them so much is their versatility and how seamlessly they can be progressed and regressed. Here I take away a base of support (an arm) and try to hold a 3-point position without allowing my torso or hips to rotate. This is a killer core challenge, and to be honest I’m gonna throw myself under the bus a little bit and say I should have tried to hold the elbow tap a liiiiitle bit longer. I kinda rush things in an effort to get to a more stable position. This is an exercise where slowing things down is paramount its effectiveness. Any sort of mild elevation will work here: and aerobics stepper, setting up the bar in a Smith Machine to the lowest setting, or anything similar. Also, totally cool to alternate which hand comes up; feel free to experiment.

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CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff To Read While You’re Pretending To Work: 9/9/16

Copyright: donatas1205 / 123RF Stock Photo

A few things to hit up before we dive into this week’s list:

1) Somercore/Gentilset Last Hurrah of 2016

A quick reminder that Dean Somerset and I will be hosting our last LIVE event of 2016 together next month in Minneapolis, MN (the weekend of October 15th).

The stellar folks at Movement Minneapolis were kind enough to offer their four walls to host our Complete Shoulder & Hip Workshop. You can check out all the details along with sign-up information HERE.

The early bird rate (save yourself $100) is currently in place and will end this week. 

Also, speaking of the workshop, Dean and I filmed it last Spring over in Norway and are planning on releasing it as an 11+ hour digital product titled the Complete Shoulder & Hip Blueprint in the next coming weeks. Catchy title, right?1

 

2) COREssentials

I’m going to be starting a new 6-week “beginner course” at CORE starting Monday, October 3rd called COREssentials.5

The idea is to champion FOUR things:

1. Building Autonomy
2. Building Accountability
3. Building Competency
4. Building Community
5. BONUS: Building Biceps, Glutes, (or whatever)

Okay, that’s five things…but hopefully you get the idea. The program is going to focus on beginner and intermediate level lifters who may either be lost in their training – just kind of haphazardly piecing together workouts with no rhyme or reason – or maybe intimidated altogether, and the goal is to build all of the above and focus and purpose with training.

core-01

The Deets

START DATE: Monday, October 3rd, 2016.

1. Groups will meet 2x per week at CORE (250 Cypress St, Brookline, MA) in predetermined AM and PM time slots.

2. Sessions will be 60-75 minutes in length where the coaches (myself, along with Jarrod Dyke, CSCS) will stress the basics – teaching participants various bodyweight, kettlebell, and (sometimes) barbell based movements designed to set the stage for continued success and growth (you know, that autonomy thing mentioned above).

3. There will also be a nutrition/mindset component as well. Shannon Wheel, a Boston-based Registered Dietitian, will be holding several sessions throughout the course of 6-weeks covering nutrition as well as helping participants develop behavioral-based habits to compliment the training.

Too, my wife, Dr. Lisa Lewis, a behavioral and exercise psychologist, will be offering a mindset component designed to augment the process. She’ll tackle what goes on in our heads, and how to best curtail the roadblocks and negative self-talk that often hampers progress.

4. Weekly “homework/reading” assignments will be part of the process, along with email correspondence from the coaches to help keep participants on task.

5. There will also be a lot of EDM and 90’s hip-hop played (if I’m coaching anyways), and the likelihood of spontaneous dance or rap battles breaking out will be very high.

If you’d like more information for you or someone who may know in Boston who may be a good candidate for this program please use the “Contact” function HERE.

And now lets get to this week’s list of stuff to read:

These Legs Were Made For Lifting – Artemis Scantalides

Loved this post by Artemis. She gets very personal, and tells her story of what strength means to her and how she’s had several paradigm shifts at different stages of her life.

I feel like her picture needs to be next to the word “badass” in Wikipedia.

The Sticking Point in the Bench Press, the Squat, and the Deadlift: Similarities and Differences, and Their Significance for Research and Practice – Justin Kompf & Ognjen Arandjelovic

If the length of the title didn’t give it away, this is a doozy. I suggest grabbing a cup (or two) of coffee and get comfortable. This will rock your world.

3 Laws to Master Coaching Youth Athletes – Nancy Newell

Excellent advice from Nancy on this one. Sometimes it’s the simple things like remembering someone’s name that can go a long way.

Categoriescoaching Exercise Technique

Turkish Get-Up Tip: Vertical Knee

The Turkish Get-Up.

Some people love them.

I mean, really love them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_98w0cwqFQ

 

And others are indifferent maybe even skeptical.

I know some strength coaches who view them as a valued asset to their programs, providing insight on their athlete’s movement quality as well as highlighting any “weak links” that may exist.

And I know some strength coaches who could make a list of other things more valuable or worth their time:

  • Deadlifts
  • Squats
  • Arguing with a vegan
  • Running a 5K
  • A basket of dicks

I, for one, do find value in them.  Of course, whether or not I transplant them into someone’s program depends on several factors; namely, their goal(s).

Sorry, but if someone’s goal is hypertrophy I can think of roughly 412 other exercises more prudent to get the job done than the Turkish get-up.

I’m not saying it’s a waste of time to include them in a program designed to get someone jacked – maybe include them as part of an extended warm-up to get the joints primed for larger, compound movements, or, say, if someone has the movement quality of a pregnant pig (they’re a nice addition to GPP days) – however, I’d raise an eyebrow (or two) to any coach who places heavy precedence on including them in such a program.

That said, I find the get-up to be one of those universal movements I use with my athletes and general fitness clients alike. For athletes it’s a great way to control fatigue and reduce axial loading. Not to mention we’re accomplishing a lot with regards to scapular stability, hip mobility, glute activation, as well as working on primitive patterns such as rolling, half kneeling, to standing.

I pepper them into programs for general fitness clients because, well, it’s good for them (and I like to LOL when they call me an a-hole for making them do it).

There are a lot of moving parts to the get-up. Not surprisingly, this makes the learning curve a bit tricky for some with regards to honing technique

Much like how I prefer to layer the KB Swing, I think it’s wise to also break down the get-up to more bite-size portions.

Today I’d like share a tip I learned from StrongFirst Team Leader, Artemis Scantalides, on a subtle “technique trap” many seem to fall prey to.

Maintaining a vertical knee (which helps to keep the glute engaged during the initial roll to press).

Vertical Knee

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 4/10/15

Before I get to this week’s list of stuff to read while you’re pretending to work, I wanted to toss some love towards a new show that Lisa and I just finished watching on Netflix….Bloodline.

The show revolves around the Rayburn family….Mom, Dad, four siblings, and the dynamics – past and present – between each member as they run their family owned beach resort in the Florida Keys.

The Rayburns are your classic American, small town, successful, happy family. Or so it seems.

John (played by Kyle Chandler, best known for his role as coach Eric Taylor in Friday Night Lights) is a local detective and moral compass for the family.

Older brother Danny (played by Ben Mendelsohn, who will assuredly win many awards for his role) is the family outcast and black sheep.

Youngest siblings, Meg and Kevin (played by Linda Cardellini and Norbert Leo Butz) are stuck in the middle of all the drama.

And rounding out the all-star cast, the patriarchs – Robert and Sally Rayburn – are played by none other than freakin Sam Shepard and Sissy Spacek.

The Rayburns have their demons to contend with…deep, dark, family secrets that would make an episode of Forensic Files seem like a Care Bears movie. To that end, it’s right up my alley. But I can’t speak highly enough of how well written and acted the show is. Not to mention how well it’s shot.

My fiance, Lisa, who is from Florida, ooo’d and aaah’d watching all 13 episodes and it reminded her of how much she misses it down there.

Suffice it to say if you’re looking for a new show to binge watch, and show that’s dark, supremely made, and is smart….Bloodline would get my vote.

Losing Fat Without Macro Counting: 10 Strategies – Anyman Fitness

We have the IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) crowd, we have the intermittent fasting crowd, we have Paleo, we low-carb/high fat, low fat/high carb, and we have any number of “fanatical” approaches on how everyone should eat to lose fat.

I’m sure somewhere out there in the world there’s a group of people who will say to avoid all foods beginning with the letters C, K, M, P, and Q on Thursdays, except for in months that end with the letter E and/or if it’s a leap year.

Then it’s all months that end in Y.

The point is: there’s a lot of information out there with a lot of different view points and it’s hella confusing. I felt this article was pretty level headed and “accessible” with its message. The less minutia the better in my book.

How to Bulletproof Your Hamstrings – Mike Robertson

It’s Spring time – tis the season for an epidemic of hamstring strains and tears.

This post by Mike is excellent.

One Movement That Will Help Your Pull-Up – Artemis Scantalides

As someone who works with a lot of female clients who’s goal it is to finally conquer their first chin-up/pull-up, I can’t approve of this article enough.

If I could make out with it, I would. I like it that much.

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 7/18/14

I know, I know. Some of you may have logged on today and thrown your hands up in the air (and maybe tossed in an expletive or two) expecting to read part II of Confessions of an Introverted Strength Coach.

Believe me: I had every intention of doing so, but given how popular it was (thanks everyone for the kind words), and the limited amount of time I had today to put in some quality writing* I decided I’d put it off until Monday. I promise.

Until then, per usual, here’s some stuff to read while you count down the minutes until your weekend starts.

Specialization Success Guide – Greg Robins & Eric Cressey

If you’re someone looking to take one of the “Big 3” lifts (squat, bench press, deadlift) – or even if it’s all three, or you just want to get strong – to the next level….look no further.

Admittedly, it’s less an “in depth” manual (while there are videos going over coaching cues, it’s not something that breaks down each lift), as it is more of a “how to” guide to the programming side of things.

As I noted earlier this week, I’ve seen first-hand how this program has worked for several of our own athletes and clients at CP and it’s been pretty cool to see them all set PRs on a consistent basis.

The introductory price only last a few more days, so take advantage of it while you can.

Is Your Body Made for Running? – Lou Schuler

As is par for the course, Lou writes an excellent, informative, fair piece on an always controversial topic.

Shoulders Are the New Cleavage – Revisted – Artemis Scantalides

I linked to this post earlier in the week in my Girl Power: My “Go To” Sources for Female Training, but I linked to a lot of things in that particular post and I wanted to single this one out.

I have a ton of respect for Artemis, not only for her coaching abilities and expertise, but also because she’s more than willing to discuss “touchy” or “taboo” topics openly and with a candor that not many people possess.

Here she tackles body image, and more specifically her decision not to get breast implants.

*  This is assuming, of course, that all of my writing is “quality” and that my prose is seamless, Pulitzer worthy, and either does one of two things: 1) increases your T-levels by 487% or 2) causes instantaneous conception.**

** For the record, any writer who’s that much of a pompous jerk and feels his or her’s writing is “quality,” probably only has like three people reading their stuff. As author Steven Pressfield notes in his book, The War of Art, no writer ever thinks they’re a good writer. Passable?  Maybe.  But good?  Fat chance.

CategoriesExercise Technique Strength Training

Tony Takes a Kettlebell Class

In keeping with the running theme of past segments like Tony Takes a Yoga Class (Part One and Part Two) and Tony Takes a Pilates Class, yesterday I added another adventure to my on-going exercise bucket list:

Unfortunately, it wasn’t Tony Performs a Cannonball Into the Playboy Mansion Pool.

Tony Takes a CrossFit Class will have to wait for another day (<— But this one is coming soon!).

And sorry, it wasn’t Tony Fights Rambo with a Flamethrower, either.

Instead, myself, Lisa, and our friend Diana headed over into Needham, MA (a few miles outside of Boston) to visit Iron Body Studios – co-owned by Artemis Scantalides and Eric Gahan – to take part in one of their introductory kettlebell classes which are offered every Sunday morning.

Some of you may recognize Artemis’ name because I’ve included a handful of her articles several times in my Stuff You Should Read While You’re Pretending to Work series, and to speak candidly, her and I have been internet pen pals for a while now.

When her and Eric opened their brand spankin new, and utterly gorgeous facility a few months ago they gave me an open invitation to come take a class whenever I wanted, but it was only within the last few weeks that my schedule was free to do so.

Of course kettlebells aren’t some foreign entity to me.  We have them at Cressey Performance, and not only use them in our own training, but  incorporate them into the programs we write for our athletes and clients.

In addition I’ve written a fair share of articles and posts on the topic:

There’s a Time and Place for Everything – Kettlebells Included (which points the finger at KB elitist who think KBs are the end all, be all of exercise).

Cleaning Up Kettlebell Swing Technique

Tony Gentilcore on Kettlebells – via TribeSports.com

Admittedly, and thus serving as the main impetus for visiting Iron Body Studios in the first place, my knowledge base and expertise on kettlebell training – while I think is up to snuff – is limited to reading and watching videos from the likes of Dan John, Gray Cook, Brett Jones, Neghar Fonooni (now Romaniello), as well as Artemis and Eric, to name a few.

If anything I wanted to visit them to see if my technique (swing and get-up in particular) was on point, and more importantly to see whether or not the coaching cues I use with my own athletes mirrored theirs.

Too, it served as a nice way for Lisa and I to start the day (we rarely ever get the chance to train together), get the blood flowing, and just feel like a million bucks.

Artemis was a champ and took all three of us through an introductory “history” on the differences between the Russian hard style she advocates and teaches (she’s both a Level II RKC Instructor as well as Level II StrongFirst Instructor:  AKA: a badass) and the American style which, lets be honest, sucks (my words, not hers).

From there we went through an extensive warm-up, which felt amazing, and then Artemis coached us through how to pattern a proper hip hinge, which is the backbone for the entire hard style philosophy, and not surprisingly the swing itself.

After that Artemis broke down the swing and I definitely took some mental notes on how I could better cue my own athletes.  Of note I’ve always wondered what the deal was with all that aggressive “hissing” noise that many KB enthusiasts practice, and Artemis explained how it’s a simple way to teach tension and to get the diaphragm to better stabilize the spine – which, upon thinking about it, made TOTAL sense.

Then it was game time.  Artemis watched us in action and critiqued our swings. I felt a little nervous, and after the first set I looked up and was half expecting this:

But thankfully, I passed with flying colors.

From there we went through the basics of a Get-Up (to the hands), which is an art in of itself.  And then Artemis took us through the ringer and had us perform three circuits of get-ups, RKC planks, glute bridges, KB deadlifts, and then KB swings.

I haven’t done that much “cardio” in a while and it was readily apparent that I need to do more. I guess doing heavy triples of deadlifts ain’t cutting it……;o)

All in all, it was an AWESOME experience and I think Lisa and I spent a good hour after the fact discussing how much we’d enjoy doing that a few Sundays every month.  In my case I can see unlimited benefits in terms of helping me address some imbalances and weaknesses I have, and I can only assume that learning how to better use “tension” to my advantage will help my deadlift and squat numbers skyrocket.

Nevertheless, you can bet that Lisa and I (and hopefully Diana…….if you’re reading this Diana, you’re doing this!!!!) will be heading back to Iron Body Studios sooner rather than later.

To that end I asked both Artemis and Eric if they’d be willing to do a quick video on swing technique and they were more than happy to oblige.

WATCH THIS – trust me:

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Day After Lisa’s B-Day Edition

You know how when you open up a magazine and read a interview of some random celebrity one of the questions that’s inevitably asked is “what’s your ideal day like?”

I’m not gonna lie:  yesterday was that day for me.

Granted it didn’t involve waking up in the French Riviera, lounging poolside eating a plate full of exotic cheeses while high-fiving Matt Damon as we discuss our roles as Master Jedis in the upcoming Star Wars movie being released in 2015.

Nope it wasn’t anything close to that. But it was reaaaaaaaaaally close.

As hinted at yesterday it was Lisa’s birthday, and as such we both played “hooky” from work and well,  enjoyed a day of decadence together.

We slept in, headed to the gym and trained together (which we rarely ever get to do), and then followed that with a little cameo appearance at the spa (she got a, well, I don’t know what she got, and I got an “extreme” sports massage).

Going to the spa is always an adventure for me because I always end up feeling like a bull in a china shop. Everything is so pretty and smells nice (a far cry from the facility), and I can’t help but feel self-conscious about what the hell am I doing there?

What do I do?  What do I say?  Where do I put my hands?  Is the cucumber water, like, free? Shit, I need to burp.  Am I allowed to burp?

Needless to say the spa was wonderful and served as a gentle reminder that I (we) need to do that more often.

After that the birthday girl wanted chicken wings, so who was I to get in her way!

To my more observant readers out there, yes, that’s a Lulu Lemon bag to Lisa’s left (no woman’s b-day is complete without a little Lulu, right?).

We then topped the day off with a little fro-yo, went home and chillaxed.  Perfect.

I’m still kinda in “vacation mode” after yesterday so instead of writing some new content (I do have some doozies lined up), here’s this week’s list of stuff to read……

Unsexy Training Methods Produce Sexy Results – Artemis Scantalides

This was a knockout of a post written by Artemis (with a brief shout-out to who else?  My girlfriend, Lisa.  Woot woot!).

Artemis pretty much covers all the bases here:  everything from why women shouldn’t be reticent to lift weights, why “cleanse diets” are a crock of shit, and eating REAL food is the real key to results.

I loved this comment in the article itself:

MYTH: 700 minutes of cardio per week will help you to achieve the body you want.

FACT: Moving around 7,000 pounds during your daily training session will give you the body you want.

Lifting Weights is Only For Boys….NOT – Emily Socolinsky

Like Artemis, Emily is another “go to” figurehead that I love to refer back to as a perfect example and role model for women to aspire towards.

She’s about empowerment, encouragement, and providing information…..but she doesn’t sugar-coat things.

In this article Emily highlights a “quick” back and forth between she and myself on the topic of women and lifting heavy things.

And by “quick,” I mean the opposite of that.

The WSJ’s “Get Over It” Column, Translated – Mark Remy

This was an article that was sent my way on Facebook by a lovely women named Kristine who reads my blog (who also qualified for next year’s Boston Marathon!).

I honestly had no idea the original article existed – namely because I don’t read the WSJ (mostly in part because the stock market is Klingon to me).

While I can somewhat commiserate with the original article – and sometimes catch myself throwing the ol’ stink eye to runners myself (much like the kettlebell crowd, they can be an elite group of uppity snobs sometimes – I felt as a whole the “intent” of the article was woefully ignorant.

The retort, however – which is what I link to above – was/is the balls.  I don’t think I laughed this hard while reading something in a while.

 

CategoriesStuff to Read While You're Pretending to Work

Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: 8/23/13

I know, I know – I’m posting this badboy up a bit later than usual, but I actually have a legitimate excuse.  For starters,  ummmmm, hello??? Freakin Ben Affleck is slated to be the next Batman!!!!

I don’t know how I feel about this yet.  Part of me is like “hell yeah.” He’s an often under appreciated actor, and he’s obviously made his mark as an A-List director (Gone Baby Gone, The Town, Argo), so I feel like he’s a good fit because he knows what it’s like to direct and will offer his own vision to some degree.

Plus, lets be honest:  he’s got the jawline for the role.

And part of me wants to punch a hole in the wall because I’m so enamored with Christopher Nolan’s ‘Dark Knight’ franchise and Christian Bale’s portrayal of Batman/Bruce Wayne, that it kind of makes me sad that we’re moving on and turning the page on that chapter in the Batman franchise.

It’s going to be interesting for sure, and if nothing else, this marks Day One of my campaign to try to convince Ben Affleck to come to Boston (his home town no less) and train for his role at Cressey Performance.

Someone contact DC Comics for me and make that happen!…….;o)

But in all seriousness, the reason I’m a bit late posting today is because we’ve been absolutely swamped at CP with new assessments (16 this week alone), and I (along with the rest of the staff) have been writing programs like a boss.  I swear every waking moment outside of coaching has been spent writing programs.  Okay I watched the season 7 finale of How I Met Your Mother, but other than that, I’ve been glued to Excel.

Moreover I was the one who ran Excellence Bootcamps this morning, and treated all the participants to a little TG techno magic time.  Which is to say, for five hours straight there was nothing but Swedish House Mafia, Tiesto, Deadmaus, and other sick beats while I took everyone through a healthy dose of Prowler pushes, carries, deadlifts, and fist pumps for days.

It was awesome.  But I guess you had to be there.

Nevertheless, even though most people reading are no longer at work, and are probably 2-3 Martinis deep into their weekend, here’s some stuff to read:

Strength Goals Trump the Scale – Artemis Scantalides

I respect the hell out of Artemis, and not because she can round house kick me to the face faster than I can say “Tracy Anderson is about as intelligent as a ham sandwich.”

Which is pretty darn fast, mind you.

I just love the consistent message that Artemis relays on her blog, and it’s pretty cool to witness.

Please, ladies:  check out her stuff and forward to ALL of your friends who are married to the scale.

Should You Be Sprinting – Kyle Arsenault

This was a fantastic article over on Fitocracy.com by former CP intern, Kyle Arsenault, on the many benefits of sprinting and why many people probably shouldn’t doing it.  At least not yet.

How to Get the Buy In – Justin Kompf

There are a lot of, shall I say, “douchey” personal trainers out there. Most don’t know their ass from their acetabulum, yet are able to hit their quotas each and every month because they’re essentially glorified babysitters.  They train their client’s mouths more than they train their posterior chain.

Rare is the event where a client “buys in,” or hits that tipping point where they finally “get” what you’re trying to accomplish with them as their trainer.

Even rarer when you convert your client’s train of thought into actually LIKING lifting heavy things and showing up week in and week out for more “torture.”

In this thought provoking post, Justin describes the “buy in,” and how you as a trainer can get to that point.

BONUS

Should You Use the Olympic Lifts – Me

This was a quick article I wrote for MensHealth.com on Olympic lifting and why I tend to shy away from including them in 99.98% of the programs that I write.

I’d love for you guys to check it out and show MH.com some love by “Liking” the article.  But if you think it sucks, that’s cool too.  I won’t cry.  That much.